Experience brutal God of War action online with up to eight players in objective-based battles.

Align yourself to Zeus, Ares, Poseidon or Hades and earn their approval to unlock new customisation options for your multiplayer gladiator.

Embark on Kratos’s quest for freedom from the very beginning with an epic new single player story.

Enjoy new combat and puzzle mechanics that build on the award-winning God of War gameplay.

Buy God of War: Ascension and we'll send you a voucher code for The Last of Us demo on 31 May 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: God of War: Ascension is classified R18+ and contains high impact violence. For more information, please visit the Australian Classification Board's website.

The legend begins

God of War: Ascension is a prequel to the award-winning action adventure series, set prior to the events of the original God of War. The story of doomed Spartan warrior Kratos begins with a riveting journey that reveals all there is to learn about his dark, mortal past.

Outnumbered and faced with death at the hands of a barbarian horde, Kratos pledges a blood oath of servitude to the God of War, Ares, in order to secure victory and his life. But after becoming Ares’ champion on the fields of battle and spreading chaos throughout the land, Kratos is tricked into committing an act so terrible it will change his life forever and force him to turn his back on his master.

But bonds with the gods of Olympus are not easily undone, and now Kratos finds himself imprisoned by the Fury Queen Alecto and her two sisters, Megaera and Tisiphone, as punishment for breaking his promise.

Despite the pain and suffering, Kratos must harness the rage within himself to escape the hellish prison, face his past and cut his ties with the God of War.

Epic in every way

The God of War series is renowned for its slick art style, with the battlegrounds of ancient Greece brought kicking and screaming to life as you play. God of War: Ascension is the most graphically ambitious and detailed game in the series so far, and as you’d expect, there are plenty of stunning new locations for Kratos to explore and mythological enemies for him to rip to pieces.

Escape the twisted halls of Hecatonchires, the Furies’ living prison, before encountering the hideous Titan cyclops Polyphemus and avoiding the wrecking-ball trunk of the mighty Elephantaur. Tackle wave after wave of enemies and use jaw-dropping, time manipulation powers to seamlessly alter the environment around Kratos.

Every set piece, cutscene and boss battle is a sight to behold, even if you might occasionally be tempted to peek from behind your fingers as the action gets hairy and the mashed-up monster parts start to fly.

The rage of Kratos knows no bounds

God of War: Ascension combines the series’ signature blend of storytelling, combat, exploration and puzzle-solving with a variety of new gameplay features that will surprise new players and veteran Spartan warriors alike.

There’s a revamped combat system, with new rage attacks and a tether device that can be used to sling enemies around with devastating effect. Kratos can now also take weapons from his adversaries or the surrounding environment, acquiring powerful secondary attacks that allow for vicious combinations and new strategies.

One of the game’s biggest innovations becomes accessible once Kratos discovers the Amulet of Uroborus – a magical artefact that allows him to shape, shift and wield time. This colossal power can be used to freeze enemies in battle, and also creates some truly unique gameplay moments as you decay or heal giant, collapsed structures to solves devious puzzles and reveal hidden paths around Kratos.

Online action for the first time

Multiplayer action makes its series debut in God of War: Ascension, and it has definitely been worth the wait, taking the brutal combat of the single player game into the online arena.

Become a champion of the gods with a variety of individual and team-based multiplayer experiences that see you pledge to bring glory and honour to Zeus, Ares, Poseidon or Hades. Each god offers a unique combat style, and despite beginning as a lowly warrior, by gaining the favour of your god you can master new abilities and powers and earn stronger armour, special weapons and magical relics.

The warrior customisation and XP system will keep you, your teammates and your enemies returning to the multiplayer battlefield as your gladiators become more powerful. And by teaming up with warriors who are aligned to different gods and possess differing skills, every battle is certain to descend into a diverse, challenging and closely-fought war.